Format: In Print and Online

In Absolution, the surprise fourth volume of the Southern Reach series of literary speculative novels, Jeff VanderMeer continues to provoke critics and eschew labels while plunging readers into the unpredictable wilds of Area X.

Despite decades of explosive growth, factors including financial pressure and low admissions have left many MFA programs with no choice but to close. Faculty and administrators reflect on the fallout for their communities.

After years spent on frustrating, time-consuming drafts, creating visual models helped one writer to assess the current state of a manuscript, estimate a completion date, and build confidence.